School plans ban on fizzy drinks

Fizzy drinks and cordial will be banned at a school if a plan to allow only water for pupils gets the nod from parents.

Manaia View School assistant principal Jane Bowker has proposed water be the only drink to be consumed in a bid to improve dental hygiene and obesity in children.

Parents of pupils at the Whangarei school are currently being asked for their views.

Mrs Bowker said her plan had the support of dental therapists.

Northland children have one of the highest tooth decay rates in the country with about 65 per cent having rotten teeth. Food and drink containing high amounts of sugar are a main cause of tooth decay.

Currently large bottles of fizzy drink and all energy drinks are banned from classrooms at the 300-pupil school.

Cordial and small amounts of fizzy drink are allowed in the playground.

The plan comes as the New Zealand Kidney Foundation held National Drink Water Day on Tuesday. The day's aim was to inform people of water's role in a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Manaia View School decided to lengthen the water-only day to all week.

Sherilee Visschers, 11, was intrigued by how important water was to maintaining kidney functions.

She had been drinking only water, even outside school, this week.

"I don't want my kidneys playing up," Sherilee said.

James Bell, 11, admitted he found it hard to drink only water as he usually drank fizzy drink, but he had been dutifully drinking water.

And as for the teachers, Mrs Bowker joked she had allowed them tea and coffee for fear of a "rebellion".

- NZPA